Harry Potter: The Awakening
by Bridsta05
Summary: Harry Potter is in his 7th year at Hogwarts confused after Dumbledore's death. But will one girl help along the way and reveal her love for him? Harry X Ginny, Ron X Hermione. HBP spoilers!
1. Emerald Eyes

**Harry Potter: The Awakening**

**Summary: **Harry Potter is in his 7th year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is lost and confused after the death of Albus Dumbledore and he vows to avenge his headmaster's death. But will one girl help along the way and reveal her love for him? Harry X Ginny, Ron X Hermione. HBP spoilers!

**Disclaimer:** **_I do not own anything related to Harry Potter or its characters. All I own is this plot line and perhaps some new characters of my invention.

* * *

_**

**Chapter 1: Emerald Eyes**

_Harry uttered an inarticulate yell of rage; in that instant, he cared not whether he lived or died; pushing himself to his feet again, he staggered blindly towards Snape, the man he now hated as much as he hated Voldemort himself…_

"_Kill me, then," panted Harry, who felt no fear at all, but only rage and contempt. "Kill me like you killed him you coward…"_

"_DON'T…" screamed Snape, and his face was suddenly demented, inhuman, as though he was in as much pain as the yelping, howling dog stuck in the burning house behind them, "-CALL ME A COWARD!"_

_And Snape slashed at the air: Harry felt a white-hot, whiplike something hit him across the face and he was slammed backwards into the ground. Spots of light burst in front of his eyes and for a moment all breath seemed to have gone from his body…_

_Harry struggled to his feet, looking around groggily for his wand, hoping to give chase again, but even as his fingers fumbled in grass, discarding twigs, he knew it would be too late, and sure enough, by the time he had located his wand he turned only to see the Hippogriff circling the gates. Snape had managed to Disapparate just beyond the school's boundaries…_

_----------_

_Dumbledore's eyes were closed; but for the strange angle of his arms and legs, he might have been sleeping. Harry reached out, straightened the half-moon spectacles upon the crooked nose and wiped a trickle of blood from the mouth with his sleeve. Then he gazed down at the wise old face and tried to absorb the enormous and incomprehensible truth: that never again would Dumbledore speak to him, never again could help…_

* * *

Harry Potter sat upon the burnished windowsill of his bedroom, staring out into the black sky which held only a few stars amongst its vast void of emptiness. The memories of the death of Dumbledore flashed across his mind vividly; that scene of Snape escaping and seeing Dumbledore's body lying motionless upon the ground had haunted him in his dreams for the past two months.

Tears leaked silently down Harry's face but he vigorously wiped them away on the corner of his sleeve. He didn't want it to be this way; he didn't wish for his friends and loved ones to be in so much danger. There was so much destruction going on in the world these days, everything just seemed hopeless without Albus Dumbledore there to guide him.

Harry had pondered on whether to stay at the Weasley's after school had finished. But he decided against it…after all he didn't want to put his closest friends in more danger. Voldemort was after _him_…but Harry himself was only looking for revenge, revenge towards Severus Snape, the evil corrupting man whom had killed the best headmaster Hogwarts had ever seen; all because Draco Malfoy hadn't been brave enough to do it.

When Hogwarts had been announced closed for a short period over the summer holidays, Harry had gathered his belongings and moved into Grimmauld Place, which now rightfully belonged to him. Kreacher had shut himself up in one of the rooms, ignoring Harry because he was: _'A nasty master…mistress would always be the true owner of the house…"_

He didn't give a scrap about the Dursley's and their safety…he was relieved to move into a place of his own…even if it did become a bit lonely and depressing, after all the time he spent brooding and thinking of Dumbledore's death.

Harry spotted Hedwig, his pet owl, flying towards the window through the darkness, an envelope clamped in her beak. With a soft clump the snowy white owl landed next to him and ruffled its feathers. Harry smiled weakly, pried the letter from Hedwig's beak and stroked her gently. Opening the letter carefully, he noticed he tidy writing from his best friend Hermione.

It read:

_Dear Harry,_

_Just hoping Hedwig finds you and that you get this message soon. We're all really worried about you here at Ron's. I just hope you haven't run off and done something silly, like gone to fine **him**. Lupin and Tonks are here too and they've all agreed that you should come and stay. After all, it is your birthday in a week and we're all dying to see you._

_How are you going? I know everything must be hard; Dumbledore was a great man and his loss hurt us all…_

_Just reply soon and please come and stay…we've set a room up and everything. _

_Love always_

_Hermione and the Weasley's_

Harry put the note down and got up off the windowsill…heading for the chest of drawers in the far corner. Once there, he pulled open the top drawer and rummaged around inside…at last pulling out a bottle of ink and a slightly damaged quill. Then he returned to the note, flipped it over and wrote:

_Doing just fine. Will come as soon as I can – miss you too._

_Harry_

Hedwig hopped over obediently and took the letter in her beak, before flying out the window and into the night with a little squeak.

With a sigh, Harry turned and scuffled up the dusty, creaking stairs to his bedroom; which was in a disastrous mess from him not cleaning it for days, intending on packing his things to head to the Weasley's by morning…


	2. A Chance To Escape

**(A/N) ****Thanks for your reviews :)**

_**Chapter 2**_

Harry stared out across the Weasley's lawn, lost in thought, as his friends chattered and murmmered beside him. It was a lovely day out; the sun was shining for once and Hermione brightly suggested that it could be a sign of good luck.  
Harry highly doubted this but kept his opinions to himself. He was much more preoccupied with his own thoughts – the memory of his and Dumbledore's last important meeting together; before they had set out to find the false Horcrux.

_The locket…the cup…the snake…something of Gryffindor's or Ravenclaw's…_

Harry's mind was filled with nothing else. He _needed_ to find those objects in order to destroy Voldemort forever. And with Dumbledore dead at the hands of Snape; he knew he had to find them quickly, before new dark plans were formulated.  
His eyes narrowed heavily as he imagined Snape sneering, proudly telling his master of his great achievment. _How much more would Voldemort and his follwers take from him? His parents, his godfather, his Headmaster..._ Harry's whole body shook with anger and without warning he slammed his fist down on the cleanly scrubbed table.

Everybody stopped talking to stare at him. Mrs Weasley moved closer, concerned. No one knew what to say, they all seemed to gulp as his eyes moved from one to the other.

"Er…Harry? I-is everything okay?" Hermione spoke timidly. Harry turned his burning emerald eyes on her.

"Yeah. Everything's _perfect._ I'm going for a walk." Harry snarled back. He got up and stalked away from the group; his hands shoved in his pockets.

He knew he was being unreasonable and bitter, but he couldn't have cared less. He couldn't stand the way everyone he loved seemed to be lost to the evil. The evil he had to prevent, if it was the last thing he did. That, he swore to himself.

x-x-x-x

Hermione and Ron found Harry sitting on a mossy rock, near the edge of the small river not far from the Burrow. They saw he was holding the crumpled piece of paper with the note that had been scrunched into the locket, the message from R.A.B.

None of them, not even the Weasley's could recognize the initials and Hermione had spent many nights pouring over old scrolls and textbooks she had borrowed from the library in Diagon Alley. They had found nothing.

A weeping willow tree hung rather sadly beside Harry as he rigerously wiped his eyes when his friends approached; the green leaves brushing his cheek. Ron put his hand on his back.

"We're with you all the way on this mate…you know that yeah?" Ron said kindly, squatting down beside him.

"Of course. To the very end." Hermione nodded bravely and stared out across the water, where it flowed gently downstream.

"I-I know." Harry muttered, puffing out his cheeks, "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I just have no idea where to look. Or how to start. Or what to do."

"It's alright, no need to apologize. We all know how hard…Dumbledore's death hit you…and all of us." Hermione's voice was barely audible. Harry felt a lump clog up his throat and managed a short nod.

"C'mon. Let's go to the hill. We can have a game of Quidditch if you want? To lighten your mood?" Ron suggested. Harry shrugged, heaving himself to his feet.

"Sounds alright to me."

"Great."

And the three of them turned and trudged slowly through the leafy green ferns, back to the shed to retrieve their broomsticks.

x-x-x-x

"Not again!"

"Keep quiet Amycus."

"Narcissa!"

Greyback gripped Amycus's robes harshly.

"You try and stop her again and it'll be you I'm feasting on next."

"No need to get hasty."

"Keep your mouth shut and let her go infront."

"Alright already. Alecto! Keep up!"

The four scrurried over dank, dirty ground; almost invisible to the eyes; swift as shadows, as slick as smoke through bare hands. They crept over the broken train tracks; their feet splashing gently through puddles on the ground, weaving in and out of the nearly tumbled down cottages surrounding them.

Footsteps thudded somewhere before them, in the mist. Greyback held Narcissa and Alecto's robes, the four breathing sharply. The footsteps drew nearer; soft yet firm against the muddy ground. Four wands were drawn from the pockets of their robes. Grins spread upon their lips as the Death Eaters slunk from their hiding space to encircle the figure before them. They glanced at each other, then nodded. Their wands were poised.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

A thud. Alecto ran to inspect the fallen victim. She snarled.

"It's Nott. Must've tried to sneak here on his own. Unplanned."

"Never had much brains." Amycus smiled.

"Let's keep moving." Growled Greyback, pushing Amycus forward by the scruff of his neck.

A few moments later Narcissa had led them to a familiar crummbling cottage, dark and concealed. She knocked, quietly. The others kept watch. They heard noises, saw shadows moving inside the cottage. Then a voice through the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's us Severus." Narcissa whispered.

The door opened; Snape's cold, pale face and greasy, lank hair revealed in the dim moonlight. The face of a murderer.

"Quite a gathering I see. The Dark Lord knows of this I pressume."

He heard Fernir Greyback snarl menacingly. And bowed his head mockingly in return.

"Come in. You're quite welcome."

The four bundled in and the door clicked shut behind them. Snape lazily waved his wand and the windows bolted themselves, along with the door. Draco Malfoy lay sprawled in the far chair; covering his left arm in bandages. His mother moved to his side.

"What may I help you with?" Severus drawled.

"We're here to inquire as to what the Dark Lord commands next." Alecto murmmered with a cough; "We need to know what he's informed you."

Snape made himself more comfortable in his squashy chair. His eyes flickered.

"I am only obliged to give messages of which the Dark Lord sees fit to send."

"Do not bother us with your pathetic manners Snape." Spat Greyback, "You are not superior to us. The Dark Lord tells us his plans too."

"Clearly Fernir. Or you wouldn't be here." Snape remarked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Just tell us what we need to know." Amycus snapped. Snape lifted a dusty wineglass to his lips and drank, surveying his audience. He then pursed his lips before he spoke.

"Very well." His smirk returned, "If you insist."

He cleared his throat to continue; but before he could speak a voice, so cold and icy that it sent chills down their spines; spoke from the shadows.

"No Severus. They wish to hear it first hand. Let their Master speak."

Voldemort stepped from the shadows; his eyes red and glinting; a smirk on his lips.

x-x-x-x


End file.
